The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-241602, filed on Aug. 9, 2000, entitled xe2x80x9cMETHOD OF MOUNTING ASSIST GRIP AND MOUNTING STRUCTURE THEREOFxe2x80x9d. The contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of mounting an assist grip or handle, which is mounted in the interior of an automobile and can support the posture of a person and a mounting structure thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
Conventionally, an assist grip is mounted in the interior of an automobile or similar vehicle in order to support the posture of a person who is sitting on the seat adjacent the assist grip.
As shown in FIG. 7(a), an assist grip 91 having a grip section 911 where a person grips and engaging sections 912 provided on both ends of the assist grip 911. Then, an intermediate attachment member 92 is provided on the engaging section 912 for mounting the assist grip 91 on a body panel 4 of an automobile or the like.
As shown in FIG. 7(b) and FIG. 7(c), when the assist grip 91 is mounted on the body panel 4 of an automobile or the like, the intermediate attachment member 92 is fitted into the body panel 4 by screwing a screw 93 into a nut 94 attached, preferably by welding, on the body panel 4.
However, there are certain problems associated with this conventional method of mounting the assist grip 91.
In the conventional mounting method, the assist grip 91 is directly placed by means of the screw 93 on the body panel 4 placed on the main frame of an automobile. Therefore, the screw 93 has to be turned and mounted where the workspace is small, complicating the installation and compromising the workability thereof.
Moreover, it is required that the nut 94 has been previously attached on the body panel 4. Therefore, when the body panel 4 is manufactured, the step for attaching the nut 94 has to be carried out, thereby complicating the manufacture of the body panel 4.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of mounting an assist grip and a mounting structure capable of being both attachable and detachable as well as being easily mounted and thereby simplifying the manufacturing steps of a body panel.
According to the first aspect of the invention, a method of mounting an assist grip on a body panel is provided comprising:
preparing a fitting and fixing clip which cannot be pulled out once it is inserted into an engaging hole provided on the body panel;
previously arranging an intermediate attachment member on both ends of the assist grip, wherein the fitting and fixing clip is fixed on the intermediate attachment member in an attachable and detachable manner; and
mounting the assist grip on the body panel by inserting the fitting and fixing clip into the engaging hole of the body panel.
The noteworthy point of the present invention is that the assist grip is mounted on the body panel by inserting the fitting and fixing clip, which is, in turn, removably attached to the intermediate attachment member, into the engaging hole of the body panel.
In the present invention, a fitting and fixing clip is used for mounting the assist grip on the body panel. This fitting and fixing clip has previously been fixed to the intermediate attachment member in an attachable and detachable manner. Then, by inserting the fitting and fixing clip into an engaging hole of the body panel, the assist grip is mounted on the body panel. With this arrangement, the assist grip can be mounted on the body panel with single-step operation simply by inserting the fitting and fixing clips. Therefore, this means of mounting an assist grip on a body panel eliminates the need for work such as turning a screw in a confined or restricted space as required in the conventional mounting operation. The present invention thereby simplifies the mounting of an assist grip on a body panel.
Moreover, for example, when performing maintenance operations and so forth that require that the assist grip be removed, the assist grip can be easily removed by disengaging the fitting and fixing clip from the intermediate attachment member while retaining the fitting and fixing clip on the body panel. Therefore, the removal and reattachment of the assist grip can be easily repeated by disengaging and then re-engaging the fitting and fixing clip and the intermediate attachment member.
Moreover, in the present invention, the steps such as positioning and welding or otherwise attaching a nut on the body panel as is necessary in conventional mounting operations need not to be carried out. Therefore, a simplification of the manufacturing steps necessary to produce the body panel can be realized.
According to the second aspect of the invention, there is provided a mounting structure of an assist grip on a body panel, wherein intermediate attachment members are arranged on both ends of the assist grip, a fitting and fixing clip (which cannot easily be removed once it has been inserted into an engaging hole provided on the body panel) is fixed on the intermediate attachment member in an attachable and detachable manner, and the assist grip is mounted on the body panel by engaging the fitting and fixing clip with the engaging hole provided on the body panel.
In the present invention, the assist grip is mounted on the body panel in a single-step operation by engaging the fitting and fixing clip with the engaging hole provided on the body panel. Hence, the mounting structure of the assist grip is simplified.
Moreover, in a fashion similar to that described above, the attachment and detachment of an assist grip can be easily repeated by attaching and detaching the fitting and fixing clip and the intermediate attachment member after the mounting has been carried out. Moreover, the steps such as positioning and welding or otherwise attaching the nut on the body panel and so forth as required in a conventional assembly process are no longer necessary, therefore, the process of manufacturing the body panel can be simplified.